You Can Only Run Away from A False god.

2 Kings 17 is a depressing read.

Those who were supposed to be God's people were overcome by the brutal nation of Assyria. King Hoshea was taken captive and the city of Samaria (the capital of Northern Israel) was besieged for three years. As you read through the chapter you find that this is the result of a people who ignored God's warnings to them through the prophets and continued to live according to the evil of the surrounding nations. Those who were supposed to be God's people were not God's people and they came under his judgment. Assyria removed them from the land and scattered them among pagan cities. Then, the king of Assyria brought people from other nations into the city of Samaria. Northern Israel was no more.

When people moved into the territory of Northern Israel, they also did not fear the Lord and they were by no means welcomed by God.

2 Kings 17:24-27 And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. 25 And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the LORD. Therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26 So the king of Assyria was told, "The nations that you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the law of the god of the land. Therefore he has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them, because they do not know the law of the god of the land." 27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, "Send there one of the priests whom you carried away from there, and let him go and dwell there and teach them the law of the god of the land."

When you read this narrative, it almost sounds like God's territory is only the boundary of land called Israel. The king of Assyria certainly saw it that way. When things were not working out in the city of Samaria, he sent an Israelite priest back from exile to show them how to worship the "god of the land." In one sense we know that God is indeed the God of Israel, but we also know that God cannot be contained by a temple or land. He is the ever-present God and the earth is his footstool. The king of Assyria was talking about his own understanding of the gods worshipped by other nations.  They were only "powerful" in their own places. The king of Assyria has no conception of the one true living God of Israel. In fact, Israel itself had ignored a true fear for the God of the universe.

We read in the book of Jonah that he attempted to run away from the presence of God. When he got into a boat headed to Tarshish, Jonah was at least acting as a pagan even if he didn't believe like one. We can do that too. God is not the god of the place we choose. God is not the god of your public image. He is not the god of the church building. He is not the god of your family reputation. He is the God of the universe in your public and private life, and he is the God of all time in your present and after life. God simply is. The I AM. How much more amazing is that when we remember that this same God came into this world to die for our sins? He died that we might worship him as the one true living God that He is.

Let's not act like those who have false gods of specific territories. Let's worship the God of creation with reverence wherever we are and with every breath.